Nancy - I came across some research about the HTLV virus being inactivated
by freezing and thawing EBM when I was writing up a piece about HIV and
breastfeeding.

Here is the excerpt which I included/adapted, "In 1989 it was reported  that
another enveloped virus, similar to the HIV virus, the human T-cell leukemia
virus type 1 (HTLV-1 virus),  which is also spread through blood, sexual
activity and breastfeeding, and which is also nearly always fatal, is killed
when human milk is frozen to -20 degrees C (0 degrees F) and thawed.   Thus
a mother who is HTLV+ may safely use this "freeze-and-thaw" method of
feeding her own expressed breastmilk to her baby.  We need to know whether
freezing and thawing will also kill the HIV virus."

The reference is:  Ando, Y et al. Effect of freeze-thawing breast milk on
vertical HTLV-1 transmission from seropositive mothers to children. Jap J
Cancer Res 1989b; 80:405-07

Your question referred to the HTLV II virus, and the above refers to the
HTLV I virus, but maybe this is what your student, or your student's patient
was speaking about??  What is so frustrating is that there appears to be no
similar research on whether the HIV virus is inactivated by this method too.
Why not??

Pamela Morrison IBCLC, Zimbabwe